The Plantation Golf Club
Resort&Spa

From an original design by Joe Blankenship for Jack Nicklaus Signature Edition

Upgrade for Links 2003 : Dominique BOIS  - IX/2003

Acknowledgements:  

	Most of the textures are custom, but they all come from borrowed ones with some or more modification.  As I can’t remember the names of the textures designers, I would like to thank ALL of the cyber-golf designers for their work and art.

	Play testers : Göran Mentzer, Lance tucker

	Special thanks to my wife and my two daughters for stantding my roars when APCD crashed and seing more my back than my face on those desgin days.

Included in the zip file :

•	the CRZ file unlocked : nothing shameful, secret or copyrighted
•	this Readme file
•	a recorded round under Breezy, Soft, Fast, Moderate conditions. (not my usual scoring on the course, I really enjoyed this one)

Recommended settings : Breezy, Soft and Fast. The greens are rather wet but well mown, so with a lot of wedges it’s a good backspin control test

The story :

	10 years ! Yes, ten years since Joe released The Plantation for the PC game Jack Nicklaus Signature Edition. This was one of my favourite among the load of courses made for that game. Because it was that : JNSE had a designer to let the users build their own courses. I started PC golf by "borrowing" MacGolf and WorldClass Leaderboard on MAC, then I turned to IBM PCs and discovered JNSE. A whole world of fun with some incredible courses made by those that I considered at the time like wizzards : Scott Chesney, Gene Rodrigez, Bob Polin, Lee Ritze, Brian Silvernail, and, please forgive me, all the others. As much I can remember, I had as much fun as today playing cyber-golf. Oh, for sure the graphics were, I'd say at a rate under the today's ones, but it was as always a real pleasure to enter the cyber world of golf (and, at the time, I could play a course in half an hour...)
	I was so gratefull for those courses that I started to design for my own fun, but also to give back some thing to the community. Those were the early days of Internet and some of its spirit blew over me... Since then, I consider each of my designs like my share to all the other courses I may get over the net. That's why, though Pay for Play should broughtm e some interresting income, I can't resolve to ask money for my work (I'd better say : my fun)
	Anyway, in those times, "The Plantation" was one of the most appealing to me  with its bright colours, its southern look, and a rather challenging routing. When it came up to JN4, 5 and 6, I had the idea of ugrading some of my favourites JNSE courses for the new game (it got an import feature from JNSE). So, came out for JN series : Estate Heights, The Plantation, Seminole Wind and Benstenwood. It was really a wonder to bring up those courses to the next level, trying to be true to the initial routing and using all the new features. (Joe made also an upgrade of "The Plantation for JN, transposing it to a different place)
	After I finished the 2003 version of Bethpage, I considered to do a ficitional design, working on a links of my own, a melt of an unreleased JNSE design and some new holes that were in my head for a while. But, Mike Jones's courses made me  take a break for this design, as I think I was unable to match his quality. That was at this time that a competition took place on my JN5 version of "The Plantation" at the Course Depot. That gave me the nostalgy of the course and the desire of playing it again, why not on Links ?
	So that design was started as a quick one, just to get back the playing feeling of the first two editions of the course. As time went by, I found myself refining some details to some point I didn't considered at once. Well, that's over, I will not go further while I find that the course would deserve some more attention to the planting. But, I find myself as a real bad planter when I look at all the top courses released. I have neither patience nor art to get this natural wildlife feeling that you can see on Shadowlands or Wellington Point. So, take the course as it is : not a piece of art, but comming out of a routing that can bring some nice fun to the player.
	This is a biridie course. Most of the holes are short or mid-length. The greens are slopping but not too much. There is a lot of water, but the threat is more than it looks.
	This course was initialy built for members, so the common tees are really easy. The championship tees have been built to welcome the pros at an "off-season" event : the “Plantation All Invitational" (all means that the crowd is also invited, making the event look more like a garden party than a golf tournament. That's why you'll see that there is not too much spectators)
	So, as you are a pro, you are wholeheartly invited. Come on and have fun and don't forget to have a taste at Cajun cooking at the clubhouse, it's worth the stop.
	The initial course was located on th east side of Mississipi. I brought it on the west side in the Cajun country just  because, as a French, I'm very interrested in Cajun culture. It's so fun to see how the language and behaviours have changed, melted with all others. And I really like the creole speaking, often this sounds with a childish feel to our ears and it's much fun. One other thing that interested me, was the cooking. The are some nice and original recipes there, and a French can't resist to some good food. So, I invite you to visit the club-house restaurant where you will find (at some reasonable prices) a panel of Cajun and Creole cooking before of after your round...

The Course :

	I tried to be true to the initial JNSE routing, though some changes have been made (but in 10 years, this is part of the life of a course, isn't it?). To match the driving performance of the common Links player, some holes have been lengthened, but I took care to leave the same kind of second shot. There is a bunch of pretty easy holes, testing your short games, and there are a few tougher ones (from the champ tees) to make the pros playing other thing than wedges. 

	Here are some comments hole by hole :

Hole 1 - Par 4 – 331 yds  - Laiss’ bon ton roul’ :

	A shorty beginner. You can "Tigerwood" the green with back wind, but the wise game is a long iron before the bunker and a short one to the green. The green is small with some gentle slopes. The main word here is "control" and that's true for the whole course.

Hole 2 - Par 4 – 445 yds  - Boscoyo :

	A longer tee shot. You have to manager the giant bunker on the right and the water on the left. The left of the fairway is the ideal spot but beware of the trees at the driving distance. The approach is generaly a mid iron to a huge green sloping form right to left. A tall tree guards the right side of the green asking some high shots for the right pin positions. To get a birdie it is wise to leave the ball bellow the cup.

Hole 3 - Par 3 – 212 yds – En d’oeuil :

	The first and longer short hole. From an elevated tee over a ravine, and long iron or a wood to a sloping green well defended on the left by a deep bunker. It is extremely difficult to keep the ball next to the pin and the putt is never easy. One of the tough ones...

Hole 4 - Par 5 – 538 yds  - J'ai gros coeur :

	The first long is a little target practice. The tee shot must land on a shallow fairway between the water and a bunker. A 3-wood is needed here. Then, the second shot is a gamble : lay up to the second fairway and leave a wedge to the green or take the fairway wood and go blind for the green. This green is the largest of the course with some nice slopes but it is eagle-welcomming. Go for it !

Hole 5 - Par 4 – 332 yds  - Posed :

	More target practice here. The first shot must land short of the water with a mid-iron. Driving the green is only possible to "super-driver". As a member was complaining about having to drive with a mid-iron, the course's staff, neglectiing nothing to make its members satisified, built a piece of land in the middle of the water to welcome the drives with a fairway wood, though the reward is not too obvious. This piece of land is called "Göran's Peninsula" (You will see him searching for his ball in the reeds). For the common one the second shot is the same iron then the one of the tee shot too a crowned green surrounded by water leaving some tricky putts.

Hole 6 - Par 3 – 167 yds  - Gee gee :

	The second short on the out is a breather. A mid length par3 to a large green sloping quite heavily towards the water. Two bunkers guard the left side. If the biride is difficult, the par should cause no trouble here.

Hole 7 - Par 4 – 345 yds  - Lâche pas la patate :

	Once again a shorty par 4. From the tee you have to reach a fairway crossing after the water. An accurate fairway wood over the left bunkers will leave you a wedge to an elevated green. Take care of the backspin here and you will be rewarded by one of the easiest holes of the course

Hole 8 Par 4 – 425 yds  -  Oo ye yi ! :

	Tougher work begins here. This one is not too long, but the driving is demanding. From the back tees, the trees on the rigth invite you to aim left, but, there, two bunkers await a long tee-shot. The key here is to keep the ball on the fairway. The second shot is a short to mid-rion to a green sloping from left to right. There again, to birdie it's wise to leave the ball under the pin.

Hole 9 Par 4 – 440 yds  - Tête dure :

	A wide open tee-shot, but it narrows at landing. You have to aim for the right further bunker hardly reachable. This right placement will give you a more open view to the green, tucked in dense tree vegetation. The water crossing should not be a factor, but beware the hollow left of the green that can leave some tricky putts.

Hole 10 Par 4 – 460 yds – Zirondelle :

	A tough tee shot. To get a shorter second shot, you'll have to cut the left-to right dog leg, but water eats the weaker tee-shots. Take care also not to be too long, as trhe left side of the fairway is steeply sloping and gives you a bad lie for the second shot. Depens on how much you cut, the approach requires a long iron to a mid one. the green is large but elevated and well protected by two deep bunkers. Gentle multiple slopes will leave some makable putts.

Hole 11 Par 3 – 144 yds  - Lee-lah : 

	The tough part ends here with the shorter short hole. An elevated tee-shot to a green sloping steeply form back left to front right requires a short iron, as always well placed, to earn a birdie. A nice scenic hole.

Hole 12 Par 4 - 375 yds - Cunja :

	Once again a shor par 4. The tee shot must manage the left bunker that is more a visual menace than a real one. Therefore, left side is dangerous, but you will have to take care not to be too long on the right side. A wedge to a tricky green must be well thought. Water is close behind, so don't be too long. The green slopes form right to left with some tricky pins.

Hole 13 Par 4 - 376 yds  - Ga lee :

	Another short par 4. The tee shot is intimidating with a large pond before the fairway, but the pros should have no problem. The key is the placement for the second shot. Left of the fairway is better, but defended by a bunker. A short iron to a wedge is the needed to reach a nice green gently sloping form back to front and well surrounded by trees. May be the nicest place of the course, and the easiest hole...

Hole 14 Par 3 – 153 yds  - Bahbin : 

	This one was drastically changed from the initial routing. The fist routing used to play reverse. I decided to pout the tee on the green(you can see the old bunker bellow the tee) and the green on the tee for practical reasons. Before, you had to play your shot, go to the green and then go back to the tee to reach the next hole. Now you are heading directly to the next tee. A mid iron over the water to a shallow green tucked between a bunker on the left and the steep slope to the water on the rigth. Slice is forbidden, but the shot is not that difficult.

Hole 15 Par 5 – 583 yds  - Atchafalaya :

	The second and last long. The back tee leaves a very difficult way to get the green in two. It is possible but with two very good shots and the creeks that run on the right side and before the green is a constant menace. Playing a secure second shot leaves an easy open wedge to a very long and narrow green. Aim strongly back of the pin to get the slope and backspin make your ball roll bellow the cup.

Hole 16 Par 4 – 325 yds  - Chaoui :

	The last three begins with a shorty,reachable par 4. If you are strong, you can drive this green. Otherwise, think of your second shot and aim to leave you a full wedge. Take car of the hidden grass bunker in the middle of the fairway. The undulated green rewards birdies only to close approaches.

Hole 17 Par 4 – 410 yds  - Rozoe :

	Then, a mid length par 4. The tee shot must manage a fairway narrowed by two bunkers on the left and the rigth. This place can give some tricky lies but you are left with a mid to short iron to the green protected by front water. This green is two tiered with gentle slopes. Get on the good tier and the birdie is possible.

Hole 18 Par 4 – 458 yds  - Vacherie :

	And to end, a long, difficult par 4. The back tee was pushed back of the 17th green leaving a tough tee-shot between two menacing bunkers. Then the approach depends on the pin placement on a very long green. You can have a mid-iron to a fairway wood over water. The green is protected right by a huge bunker and left by a steep slope to the water, sloping from back to front. The birdie opportunity depends there again of the placement of the ball under the cup.

Some comments on the hole names:

	I must thank here Brian C. Stewart who sent me 14 of them, certainly the ones with the most local flavour...

1 - Laisse bon ton roul' (let the good times roll) Yeah ! That's the course philosophy...
2 - Boscoyo (A Cypress tree knot)
3 - En d'oeuil (in the morning)
4 - J'ai gros coeur (I feel like crying) In french that is said "j'ai le coeur gros". In this order this would mean "I'm courageous" !
5 - Posed (a bad, mischievous, kid)
6 - Gee Gee (a spell put on someone)
7 - Lache pas la patate (hang on on bad times). On french golf courses that means "don't drive too strong". I find that the two meanings fit well on this hole...
8 - Oo ye yi! (Ouch!)
9 - Tete dure (Stubborn)
10 – Zirondelle (Dragonfly). In cajun like in creole, I do like the names that start with Z, that gives a childish feel (for our french ears). This place is also named “le clos des zoies” (the geese field)
11 - Lee-lah (Little green puff balls that fall off the trees in the area)
12 - Cunja (A spell)
13 - Ga Lee (an expression of astonishment)
14 - Bahbin (a pouting facial expression)
15 - Atchafalaya (long river in local indian). Fits well with the hole
16 - Chaoui (A Raccoon)
17 - Rozoe (A long thin reed)
18 - Vacherie (the parrish of the well known plantation”Oak Alley”). Once again a game with the word : in french a "vacherie" is kind of a bad trick and that's what this difficult hole is...

	I thank you for your visit at The Plantation. I hope you had as much fun playing this course than I had since 10 years. I hope the initial feeling was kept, and, if some of you experienced the JNSE version, I'd be glad to share your opinion.

Next course to come :

	Well, I have multiple projects and have not made a choice at the moment. Among them : upgrade of my JN courses "L'Anse à Coco" or "Royal Kurland", a links course, or may be a real design of Royal Dornoch, but, there I need local help to gather  the most possible informations. So if you leave in the Eastern Highlands, or know someone there, I'd be glad to get any help.

	Thank you, and peace on Earth.

Dominique